0816_TOEFL-Test-and-Score-Manual-1997

Management Strategies ● 31
“We wanted to completely change the menu because people were not
going out for $35 steaks,” said Fox. “In 2009, we invested about $600,000
in the space and closed down for 90 days.”
They updated the menu to include more casual, bistro food with an
average tab of $25 including food and a drink. “The chef came up with a
new menu with 30 new items,” said Fox. His company, Fox Partners, is the
landlord to 10 other restaurants, and he owns the Carleton Hotel where
Barclay’s is located.
Fox made another change: he stopped booking nightly live entertainment
when the restaurant reopened. Although long-time patrons loved
the music, Fox said “they would come in and buy one $5 drink” instead
of ordering a meal. “The response has been very positive, although some
diehards don’t like it,” said Fox.
Kharasch’s Tips for
Restaurant Owners
• Reduce the number of managers you hire by reorganizing the
staffing schedule.
• Make sure the kitchen is designed to let the chef easily supervise
cooking and to get the food out to customers fast.
• Make sure your menu is easy to understand, and promote high-margin
items like appetizers and desserts.
• Insist that bartenders measure the alcohol they pour. Bartenders
who don’t measure “drain a restaurant of profit.”
• Be sure your staff is well trained and motivated to provide great,
friendly service.
One more tip: The owners of the Lyndonville Freight House in
Lyndonville, Vermont, collect menus from other popular restaurants
to get ideas for their menu. “We printed out 60 to 80 menus and compiled
a list of 40 dishes we wanted to try,” said Bonnie Paris, who runs the
restaurant and a nearby farm with her parents and fiancé. “We try to
use seasonal ingredients—heartier meals in the winter and lighter
things in the summer.”